Steering Play

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joneserr

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Trying to figure out why I have so much play in the steering. Stock 99 K1500 suburban. 3 inches of play in the steering wheel.

I replaced the steering box, wheel position sensor, the lower steering shaft/rag joint (Dorman) and also had a lot of play in the upper steering shaft so replaced the upper with on from the junk yard which took the movement out of the upper shaft. With all these new parts I can still turn the steering shaft and there is considerable delay before the pitman arm moves.

Did I get a bad rebuilt steering box?

Front end is very tight as all parts have been replaced with Moog.

Thanks
 
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magimerlin

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Have you adjusted the backlash out of your new steering box
BEFORE you even try that and possibly lock your steering up by not knowing how to do it correctly.. lay under your truck and have someone else in it jarring the wheel back and forth and see and feel if anything is loose. also look at the rag joint on the shaft down by the steering gear box..

In all my years of turning wrenches on the side and professionally I've only come across a few boxes that needed adjustment.. 99% of the time something is worn in the steering linkage or the rag joint is really bad off..

sent from what use to be a great country...
 

joneserr

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Thanks for the responses.

I decided to pull it and exchange it as it just had a lot of play and I don't feel comfortable trying to adjust it myself. Got the exchanged one on and the steering slop went from 3 to 4 inches to 1 to 1.5 inches. The steering wheel is slower to return around corners now. Seems to wander some but probably need to have it aligned again?

Is one inch acceptable play? I know this isn't a Corvette but my other cars are rack in pinion and have no play in the steering so any seems excessive. The rag joint is a new Dorman shaft, but suppose it could be a bad part so I am going to exchange it.

I got the box at Advance Auto Parts, I believe it is a Cardone, perhaps these are junk units and should have gone with another brand?

Tires are very tight using the shake test so play is from the box to the steering wheel.
 
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RichLo

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if your replacing the doorman with another doorman, I would get the one with the u-joint instead or the rag joint.
 

joneserr

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To follow up and maybe help someone else out. I returned the horrible Advance Auto rebuilt and went with a Redhead Steering Gear unit. The difference in quality is amazing. Truck now steers perfectly no play and returns from corners with no effort just how it should. IMO I would avoid auto parts store rebuilds they are total junk and go with Redhead. It is more expensive but worth it. Readhead customer service was top notch. I think all the auto parts rebuilders do is replace the seals and you get someones old worn one.

Advance was $209 and I paid $295 plus $23 shipping for Redhead but extra expense well worth it to me. It also arrived next day. Why buy lifetime warranty on something that takes your time and effort to replace and is never correct.

Also I replaced the upper steering shaft with one that had less play from yard and exchanged for a new lower Dorman one and there is no play in the shaft very happy now after removing the steering box four times. Looked into the Jeep steering shaft but only works on older GMT400s and mine is a 1999 so doesn't fit but happy with the replaced rag joint shaft.
 

RichLo

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Glad to hear you went with a redhead, I have a quick ratio redhead in mine to and I love it!
 

joneserr

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As a follow up to this. Steering vastly improved and generally drives great but having one issue. Above 50mph it feels like you need to make slight corrections to keep it straight and feel like you can't take your eyes off the road at all. You take your hand off the wheel and it does not pull. I just had the front end aligned and it is very tight. Also I installed the steering sensor delete kit so I know it isn't the speed sensitive steering.

Any thoughts on what might be causing this?
 
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